Expert reveals only Prem club Cristiano Ronaldo received a ‘concrete offer’ from, as alternative deal nears completion
Italian transfer insider Gianluca Di Marzio has detailed the only English club who submitted Cristiano Ronaldo with a ‘concrete offer’ upon his exit from Manchester United, though the striker is now on the verge of going elsewhere.
Ronaldo became a free agent on November 22 when he mutually decided to terminate his Man Utd contract with the club. That came after his massive interview with Piers Morgan, during which he said he felt ‘disrespected’ by those at Man Utd.
As reports on his next move ramped up, Ronaldo put all of his attention on Portugal’s World Cup campaign. He was hoping to add to his illustrious trophy collection by lifting football’s biggest prize.
However, things didn’t work out for Ronaldo. He only managed one goal in five appearances in Qatar before Portugal’s quarter-final exit at the hands of Morocco.
And to make matters worse for the 37-year-old, his old foe Lionel Messi is starring for Argentina. His record stands at five goals and three assists from six matches, and he has helped the South American nation to reach the final.
Ronaldo will have one eye on the final, as he will want to see how Messi does. But the former Man Utd man will also be considering where to go next at club level.
He was linked with a shock move to Man Utd’s Premier League rivals Chelsea once he became a free agent. Real Madrid were also tipped to reunite with the goalscorer.
However, neither of those transfers came about. Ronaldo is currently training at Real’s base, but that is just for convenience.
Journalist reveals Cristiano Ronaldo proposal
Di Marzio has now provided his information on Ronaldo’s future, during an interview with Dutch source Soccer News.
He claims Newcastle are surprisingly the only Prem side to have actually sent him a ‘concrete’ proposal. Instead, though, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is close to joining Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr.
“Cristiano wanted to stay in Europe, but he’s not received any concrete offers from European clubs,” the journalist declared.
“Only from Newcastle, but the idea was that he could play there until June, then go to Al-Nassr. But I think that deal is done.”
It would have been incredible to see Ronaldo go to Newcastle. Last season, they were fighting to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Thanks to their new owners though, they can now target better players. And this has helped them challenge for Champions League qualification this term.
As Newcastle are the richest football club in the world, they easily could have matched Ronaldo’s wage demands. He reportedly took home an astonishing £480,000 a week at Man Utd.
But it seems Ronaldo pushed back Newcastle’s bid. Instead, he is close to linking up with Al-Nassr. It will demonstrate that the attacker is well past the peak of his powers as he is no longer willing to remain in Europe.
For Al-Nassr, it will demonstrate a huge marketing opportunity. People from all across the country and beyond will pay big money to go and see Ronaldo in action.
And the team will probably make big money on shirt sales, as he is one of the most famous footballers of all time.
